The Himachal Pradesh government is misleading people by not acknowledging the Centre's share in the Rs 4,500-crore special disaster relief package, former chief minister Jai Ram Thakur said on Thursday, a day after he met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and expressed his gratitude for the assistance.
Thakur, the Leader of Opposition in the Himachal Pradesh Assembly, met Prime Minister Modi in Delhi on Wednesday and requested him for continued support to the state.
He held a detailed discussion with the prime minister on the damage caused to human life and public and private property in the recent torrential rains, according to a statement issued here on Thursday.
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Thakur expressed his gratitude to the central government for its support and cooperation during the recent natural disaster and requested the prime minister to visit Himachal Pradesh to inaugurate the four-lane highway from Kiratpur to Sundernagar.
Thakur said that the Centre had a major share in the Rs 4,500-crore special relief package that has been announced by the state government.
Talking to mediapersons here on Thursday, Thakur said the state government is deceiving the people of the state by not acknowledging the Centre's assistance.
Instead, the state government is running a bogus campaign against the Union government and is accusing it of not providing any assistance to the state, he said.
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"In the relief package announced by Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, Rs 1,000 crore is of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) which is granted by the central government. Similarly, the central government is building 6,500 houses under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana and the Sukhu government also made it a part of the package," he said.
The state government also added the amount received under the National Disaster Relief Fund (NDRF) and Rs 225 crore donated by people in the special package.
"It is because of the central government's contribution that the state government is able to provide help to the people," he said and added that the opposition will expose the lies of the state government.
As soon as the disaster struck, the state government hiked diesel price by Rs 5 a litre and closed stone crushing units, he said, adding the chief minister should show some mercy on the disaster-affected people.
Thakur further said that the winter season has begun in the state and higher reaches have received snowfall, therefore, the state government should provide relief to the disaster-affected people as soon as possible and should not waste any more time.
-With PTI Input
